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Review: Google TV 2.0

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Review: Google TV 2.0

Google has taken another shot at the TV business with its new smart TV with a smart TV platform and an overhauled software on Google TV 2.0, which includes a better interface than the previous version, a more streamlined view of internet video contents, and the apps from the mighty Android OS merged into the the TV platform.

Many of the new features and the refined simplistic interface of the new Google TV is a result of customer feedback, which shows that Google takes its customers seriously. As on October 29, 2011, Google has announced the launch of its new software in the following weeks.

After first launch of their TV platform that provided access to streaming content services like YouTube and Netflix along with cable TV services on a single platform for Sony and Logitech devices, Google is finally here with their updated TV platform.

What is it?

Google TV 2.0, as the name implies, is a smart TV platform by Google that integrates Google’s chrome browser with Google’s Android operating system to create an interactive television platform upon which, content streaming services like YouTube and Netflix work together with live TV like cable services. Google has worked hard to correct the mistakes and shortcomings of its previous release of the Google TV smart platform through customer feedback, and created this new version that is targeted at a more tech savvy consumers who want the ability to find any internet video over few highlights.

Key features:

Having based on the Honeycomb Android platform, Google TV 2.0 smart platform offers a more streamlined and unified experience throughout, which Android users would be able to relate and feel at home. The new home screen and the menu tree is gorgeous to look at, and most used apps appear as a single bar of icons on the home screen that overlay the background content. Google TV 2.0 runs on Android on 3.1 that makes it a breeze to flip through the silky smooth menus and options. The new platform is designed to run on older hardware but it certainly gets choked with HTML 5 based apps, but its new web browsing is an improved experience and feels more natural like that of a proper internet browsing.

What’s innovative?

There are three key distinctions between the first version of Google TV smart platform and the new Google TV 2.0 platform that has led to a better innovation. The first major improvement is the user interface. The new user interface is more simplistic, more intuitive and is a breeze to navigate through. The next innovation of this new platform is its ability to access the Android market with 30 selective apps optimized for Google TV appearing in the ‘Featured For TV’ section. Finally, TV and movie search and its discovery has been made more comprehensible, meaningful and intuitive. One can search for specific selective contents like HD video.

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Price and availability:

Amazon lists the price of the following available models by Logitech and Sony that runs on Google TV platform. The Logitech Revue Google TV costs $122.11 before shipping and the Sony NSZ-GT1 WiFi, Blu-ray disc player featuring Google TV costs $167.97 before shipping. Sony NSZ-32GT1 WiFi with HDTV – LED with Google TV costs $498.00.

The up side:

The new Google TV 2.0 platform enables the user to access full Android Market with custom made apps for the Google TV, this opens the possibility of an endless number of apps that one can play around with and help to search and organize contents that one wishes to see. With the new platform, the user can now search for specific contents such as TV and movies more comprehensibly like never before. The new UI also enhances the user experience that is close to Android based mobile phones and its Honeycomb update will definitely enthrall users with its smooth interface. Moreover, Sony and Logitech are coming up a better performing TVs to complement the enhanced Google TV 2’s experience.

The down side:

Even though the Google TV 2.0 has opened the doors to the Android market, it will be some time before we start to see interesting apps being developed by the developers. The content on Google TV platform comes mainly from Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, but rest of the big content providers websites are blocked. This leaves Google TV users shy of many contents and also, lack of services on the TV and Movies app leaves users devoid of contents.

Our experience:

Our experience with the Google TV 2.0 has been fairly positive. Apps that are HTML 5 compatible had a tough time running on the old hardware that was initially meant for Google TV 1. But the new Android market access, butter-smooth Honeycomb user-interface coupled with better comprehensible content search left a pleasant impression on us.

The bottomline

Google TV 2.0 is a substantial improvement over the older version, having said that, the lack of potential hardware at this time (better hardware are expected to be released next year), and lack of matured contents and apps for the newly opened Android market access leaves us wanting to wait till a more matured hardware and app market is established, before we jump in for an upgrade to the Google TV 2.0 enabled hardware. But for those of you, who want to get a first hand experience of the Google TV 2.0 platform, it is recommended.

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